McCain to invest in Scarborough site

McCain Foods has announced plans to update its manufacturing facility at Scarborough in Yorkshire. Ahead of a formal planning application, the company has shared details of its plans for the site at Eastfield locally.

According to the company the £100 million investment is necessary to secure the success of the plant for decades to come and help it meet growing demand for new products. As well as upgrading equipment, the new plans include landscaping, an anaerobic digester to produce renewable energy and state-of-the-art odour reduction technology.

McCains’ Corporate Affairs Director, Bill Bartlett, commented, “This is a significant investment for McCain, and one that will allow us to meet the ongoing increased demand for our products, address long-term capacity and capability opportunities and deliver the latest technology and broader environmental benefits. This proposal certainly secures our operations in Scarborough and continued employment in the area for decades to come.”

The news comes just a month after the company said it would be closing its cold storage operations at the site, putting 74 jobs at risk.

The leader of Scarborough Borough Council, Councillor Derek Bastiman, said, “This is an extremely significant announcement from McCain, which cements the company’s commitment to Scarborough and the Yorkshire coast, and from which our area’s economy stands to benefit massively.”